Aston Villa fans have mixed feelings after seeing Alejandro Garnacho’s first game.
Aston Villa shared their thoughts online after seeing Alejandro Garnacho play for the first time in their match against the Indonesia All Stars.
Garnacho joined Villa on loan from Chelsea last week after a tough first season at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old scored just once in 24 Premier League games after moving from Manchester United for £40 million last summer.
Villa decided to take a chance on the Argentine, including a £43 million conditional buy clause based on his number of appearances. Playing under Unai Emery, one of the best coaches around, is seen as a great opportunity for Garnacho to get his career back on track.
After joining the club, Garnacho said he’s been lacking confidence in recent years and hopes to find the form he showed early on at Manchester United. “I was looking for a club to get confidence and to be the player I was years ago,” he said. “The manager gave me that confidence, and I want to help the team.”
Since signing, Garnacho has been training with his new teammates. On Saturday, Villa started their Far East pre-season tour with a 3-1 win over Indonesia All Stars, thanks to goals from Emi Buendia, Ross Barkley, and Brian Madjo.
Garnacho made his debut in claret and blue, starting on the left side. He played well in his first 45 minutes before being subbed at half-time, showing flashes of what fans might expect. He had some clean touches and successful dribbles and nearly scored, but Buendia didn’t pass to him at a key moment.
Fans shared their thoughts on social media, with opinions split. Some were happy: “Had a good game. Looks confident and can get better. A good player under Emery,” one said. Another added, “Good 45 minutes, but the ball needs to get to him quicker.” A third said, “With more confidence and fitness, he’ll be a star under Emery.”
Others were more critical: “Looks unfit, but I believe he can improve.” Another wrote, “Touch was sloppy, gave the ball away a few times, poor cross and shot attempt.” Some also mentioned concerns about his attitude, a problem he had at Manchester United.
Villa will keep their pre-season going with a game against Pathum United on August 4.